Folding table with sectional top



July 21, 1953 J. w. BEREMAN 2,646,324

FOLDING TABLE WITH SECTIONAL TOP Filad Feb. 9, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 AIN V EN TOR.

JUL/NN 5mt-MAN BY a E A TTORNE Y.

July 2l, 1953 J. w. BEREMAN 2,646,324

FOLDING TABLE WITH SECTIONAL TOP Filed Feb. 9; 194e s sheets-sheet 2 l.;I7 M,- 54" 45" 7. i FTS /0 IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

July 21, 1953 J. w. msnm/mv 2,646,324

FOLDING TABLE WITH sEcTIoNAL TOP n Filed Feb. 9, 1948 5 Sheets-Sheet 3INVENTOR.

daf/V l/. 5mm/1M Y 722. y. M i ATTORNEY.

Patented July 21, 1953 i UNITED' ,STATES rsr'enrorrics -John W.Bereinan, Bentonville, Ark.

I' Application February 9,1948, Serial No. 7,156

My invention relates to an improvement in folding tables. Y Y

The object of my invention is to provide a table of the kind mentionedthat is extremely solid` when set up for use but when the occasionarises to put the table away, it will quickly, easily and positivelyfold up into'a small unit for packing or storing. Y

Another object of my invention is to provide a table of the kindmentioned Athat is hinged in the center and each of the four legs hasits own individual holding and folding mechanism that is operated by thefolding of the table.

VA further object of my invention is to provide a table. of the kindmentioned that has a locking mechanism to lock the table either in anopen or upright position for use or to also lock .3 Claims. (0l. 311-90)the table in a closed compact unit for storing.

A still further object of my invention is to `provide a table ofthe kindmentioned that is beauti# ful in appearance, durablein construction andcomparatively cheap to build and buy.

Now referring to the accompanying drawings in which similar numerals ofreference designate the same parts throughout the several figures oi thedrawings.

Fig. 1 isa top` plan View of the table.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the table.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the table.V Fig. 4 is a crosssectional viewA of the table,

this view being as seen from the line IV-IV in Fig. 1 and looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is an end View of the table in a folded position, the dottedlines in'this view show n ow the table can be folded to be put away.

Fig. 6 is a top view of one of theholding and folding plates that carrythe, legs, va corner of the table is shown in section in this view, thisView being as 'seen from the line Vit-VI in Fig. 4 and looking in thedirection of the arrows.

Fig. '7 is a bottom view of a portion of the center hinged section ofthe table, this view also shows how the leg operating rods are fastenedto the center strips of the table, this'view being as seen from the lineVIL-VII in Figl and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 8 is a bottom View of a portion of the table in which the lockingand releasingmechanism is positioned. v f

Fig. 9 is a cross sectional view of a portion of the centerfoldingsection of the table showing in detail the lockingmechanis'm forholdingthe table in an open or upright position, vthis View being asseen from the line IX-IX in Fig. 8 and looking in the direction of thearrows.

' Fig. 10 is a cross sectional view of a portion of the table andshowing the lock vrelease mechanism, this mechanism is also the meansfor locking and holding the table in a closed position, this view beingas seen from the line X-X in Fig. 8 and looking in the direction of thearrows.

Fig. 11 is a cross sectional view of a portion of Fig. 13 is' anenlarged detail plan view of the table leg hanger plate, andillustrating more clearly the detail of the guide slot for the table legoperating rod.

, Fig. 14 is a side view of the table in a folded position, a portion ofthe table top being broken away to show the folded position of the tablelegs therebehind. Y

In the drawings is seen a table top T that is made in two sections I 5and I6 and hinged together in the center by two hinges I1 and I8.Located one on each of the four corners of the table YT are four legs|9,'20, 2| and 22 that are hingedly mounted onplates 23, 24, 25 and 26.

respectively. These plates 23, 24, 25 and 26 are in turn mounted andsecurely fastened to down-l wardly extending edges 21, 23, 29 and 30which are securely fastened to the two sections i5' and -l6 of the tabletop T. The plates 23, 2li, 25 and 26 are designedespecially for thepurpose for which they play in the operation of my table and the designis as follows.

is bent down sharply and extends the full length of the plate and ashortdistance on past the corner as at 3la, theother side 32 of theplate 2,5 is bent down sharply and extends a short distance past thecorner at 32a.. The side 32 is much shorter than the` other side 3l andis provided for the express purpose of holding the upper portion of theleg 2| pivotally. Starting iinn'lediatelyA in front of the short legsupport 32 is a guide slot 33 having a forward and outwardly slopingportion 34 and a laterally sloping portion Stand Y an outwardly andrearwardly extending curved portion 3B'.

TheV 'other end of the slot "34 Vis proii'dedwith The plate 25 is nat ontop, one Side si of which an inwardly extending notch portion 34a forpurposes that will later be described.

The plate 25 is securely fastened to the table edges 21 and 30 by bolts31 with nuts 38 threaded thereon. The other three plates 23, 24 and 26are identical in shape and means of fastening onto the table as theplate 25 above described and the guide slots 33 are identical also. Theparticular angular portions of the guide slot 33 are of importance inview of the fact that they govern the speed of movement of the tablelegs and also develop increased force at the proper points of legfolding movements to insure proper and positive movements of the legs intheir simultaneous folding and unfolding movements and also provide a'perfect stationing and locking of the legs in their unfolded position.

At the upper end of each leg I9, 20, 2| and 22 is a formed metal end 39,40, 4| and 42. In Figs. 6 and 12 is seen the leg 2| with its upper metalend 4| securely fastened to the leg 2| by bolts 43 with nuts 44 threadedthereon. AThe leg 2|, along with its respective metal end 4| ispivotally fastened to the metal plate 25 by a bolt 45 with I a nut 45threaded thereon. The legs I9, 29 and 22 and their respective metal ends39, 40 and 42 are identical in construction to the leg 2| and metal end4I, above described and fasten in the same manner.

Four leg operating rods 41, 48, 49 and 50 are mounted in theirrespective positions, one end to the table T and the other end to itsrespective guide slot 33 in the plates 23, 24, 25 and 25.

One end of the leg operating rod 41 has a hook 41a formed thereon. Thehook 41a hooks into the guide slot 33 and through a hold in one end of aconnecting link I, the other end of which is securely, butnioveably-positioned and fastenedl to the upper end of the leg 2| bymeans of a staple or hook eye screw 52. The other end of the legoperating rod 41 has a hook 41h formed thereon that hooks into thedownwardly extending leg 53 of a bracket 54. A similar bracket 54 islocated on the opposite side of the table edge 2B for the hook end ofthe rod 48. The brackets 54 are held in place on the table edges 21 and29 by means of a bolt, the head of which is countersunk and has a nut 55threaded thereon. All the leg operating rods 48, 49 and 59 and theirmeans of operation and fastening are identical to the leg operating rod41 above described.

Positioned, one on each of the legs I9, 20, 2| and 22 are four legbraces 56, one end of which fastens to its respective leg as in Fig. l2.The brace 56 fastens a short distance below the lower end of the legsupport plate 4| and is pivotally held in place by a bolt 51 with a nut5B threaded thereon. The other end of the leg brace 56 is pivotallyfastened to the leg pivot bolt 45. The leg support plates 23, 24, and 26are spaced away from the underneath side of the table sections I5 and I6to permit the leg operating rods 41, 49, 49 and 59 to work freely as thetable is folded up.

In Figs. 8 and 9 is shown the hook element for the purpose of holdingthe table in an open or upright position. The hook element consists of ahook 59a that is pivoted as at 69, the hook 59 extends on back and downto a point where one end of a spring 6I is fastened thereto. The otherend of the spring 6| is fastened to a bracket 62. The bracket 62 isfastened to the table edge 28 by a bolt 63, the head of which iscountersunk and the bolt 63 has a nut 54 threaded thereon. The

tension of the spring 6| serves to rock the lever 59 about the pivotpoint 60 so that the hook 59a will hook behind a keeper element 65 whichis a piece of metal.

The piece of metal B5 is securely fastened to the table edge 28 and isin exact registiy with the hook 59a. The hook 59 is pivotally supportedon a bracket 66 and is held in place by two bolts 61 and 68 with nuts 69and 19 threaded thereon. Located about halfway between the hook 59a andthe spring connection point 6I is positioned an operating rod 1 I, oneend of which is a hook formation 1Ia which hooks in a hole formed in thebody of the hook lever 59. The other end of the operating rod 1I isprovided with a second hook formation 1lb that fastens in a hole formedby an operating and locking lever 12.Y This locking 12 is mounted on amounting 13 by means of a rivet 13a. The mounting 13 is securelyfastened to the table edge 29 by a bolt 14 with a nut 15'threadedthereon. A slot 19 is provided in the edge 28 of the table T toaccommodate the complete movement of the locking lever 12 when the tableis folded up. A hook 11 is provided in the locking lever 12 whichcontacts the upper inwardly turned end 19 of the metal strip 19 which isheld in place on the opposite side 21 of the table T shown in Fig. 1l bya bolt with a nut'8I threaded thereon.

Now the operation of my table is as follows: The table is set up for useas shown in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 4.. Now by grasping the locking lever 12and pushing it in the direction of the arrow A in Fig. l0, the operatingrod 1I will be pushed and the hook 59a will be disengaged from the metalstrip 65. Immediately following this operation the table is folded asshownby the dotted lines in Fig. 5 and as the table is folded, the legoperating rods 41, 48, 49 and 59, which are hingedly fastened at one endto the bracket leg 53 of the support bracket 54 are forced out of thenotch 34a into the slot 33Y to move and follow the guide slot 33 in itsslopes 34, 35 and 35 and at the same time taking with it each of itsrespective connecting links 5|, the other end of which is fastened tothe hook eye screw 52 and its respective leg I9, 20, 2| and 22. Theobject of the notch 34a is to provide a locking seat for the curved end41a of the rod 41 to hold the table leg 2| in a locked open position.

As the connecting links move with the leg operating rods 41, 48, 49 and59 in the guide slots 33, the legs I9, 20, 2| and 22 are folded as shownby the dotted lines in Fig. 5.

When the table is folded together, a second action also takes place. Theoperating rod 1I rocks the locking lever in the direction of the arrowsB in Fig. 10 over and into the slot 15 which is formed in the table edge28. At this instant the table is practically closed and the hook 11which is an integral formed part of the locking lever 12 is in positionto contact and catch the upper inwardly turned end 18 of the metal strip19 which is fastened to the opposite side of the table edge 21 and thisaction holds the table in a closed position for carrying or storing. Asthe table is opened the locking lever 12 is pressed, unhooking the hook11 from the inwardly turned end 18 of the metal strip 19 and the abovedescribed operation is followed in reverse.

Now having fully shown and described my invention, what I claim is:

K l. In a folding table device of the kind described; said table devicehaving two table top sections each having depending rails around eachside and end thereof and being rigidly v attached thereto, one' similarrail of each'section beinghingedly attached each to the other to form asmooth table top of the two sections when in an opened position,tableleg supporting elements, one for and rigidly fixed in each cornerof the table sections opposite the hinge connections of the table topsections, table legs, one for and pivotally mounted in each of said legsupporting elements and being foldably swingable toward the other leg ofits respective table top section, each of said table leg supportingelements having a plate and a guide slot therein, said plate lying in aplane parallel to the table top, actuator rods, one for each plate, oneend of each actuator rod being travelably received in the guide slot ofits respective leg support element plate, the other end of each actuatorrod being hingedly attached to the hinged rail of its adjoining tabletop section, table leg actuator links, one for each table leg,` saidlinks beingpivotally connected, one end to their respective table leg ataA point spaced away from the pivotal mounting pointof'the leg and theother end of each actuator link being workably connected to thetravelable end of said actuating rods in said guide slots, said guideslots being tortuous in shape to push and pull said leg actuator linksto unfold to an open position and to fold to a closed position each ofsaid table legssimultaneously as the travelable actuator ends are movedin said guide slots as the folding and unfoldingmovements of the tabletop sections impart longitudinal movement to said actuator rods.

2. In a folding 'table device of the kindV described; the structuredefined in claim 1, in combination With the said foregoing definedstructure, latch and keeper means therefor for holding the tablesections in an unfolded position, said latch and keeper means beingcarried one on each of the said two hinged together section rails andbeing operable for unlatching purposes from the opposite side of one ofsaid table top lsections.

3. In a folding table device of the kind described; the structuredefined in claim 1, in combination with the said foregoingdenedstructure, latch means vfor holding the table sections.

in an unfolded position. said latch means being carried in part on eachof the said two hinged together section rails and being operable forunlatching purposes from the opposite side of one vof said table topsections, said combination being further characterized by having afurther latch and catch element, the last said latch and catch elementsbeing carried one on each opposite table top rails when the table topsections are in their unfolded position, the last said latch and catchelements' being engageable each with the other to hold the table topsections together when they are in their folded position, said catch andthe last said hook element being joined together by a rod, and both thelatch and hook being operable by a single spring attached to the saidhook element and being tensioned to rock the hook element intoengagement with its aforesaid keeper therefor.

JOHN W. BEREMAN.

